The Moriarty Of the Current Era
by Revolver OtaconAj
Summary: What starts out as a simple case turns into a nightmare, as Shinichi comes to the horrifying realization that there is a serial killer as intelligent as he is. But nothing is what it seems. As Shinichi discovers the history of the killer, things turn quite bizarre...
1. The Chain Begins

**7:30**

"Conan Kun! Time to wake up!" The sweet, kind voice of the love of his life woke him from his dreamless slumber. Usually he was the one that got up the earliest but today was unusual.

Shinichi opened his eyes slowly but steadily. He looked around his tidy, neatly organized room as his eyes adjusted to the light. When he tried to get up, his movements were constrained by his blankets.

He tilted his head to the desk holding his lamp. The book he was reading was closed, and unbookmarked much to his dismay. Dust covered the desk except for a small head like area.

 _I must have fallen asleep while reading. And Ran probably picked me up and tucked me in._ Shinichi was a bit bashful from the idea of Ran touching him but he smiled anyway. He was grateful for the affection and charity.

Then again it had its drawbacks. "C'mon…" Shinichi spun and twisted his boyish body in an attempt to escape his straightjacket like prison. He ended up falling off the bed hitting his head on the floor.

"Hey brat! Get down here while the breakfast is warm! If you don't I'll eat it all you mooch!"

He wasn't kidding. Kogoro was more childish and immature then Shinichi could ever pretend to be. _I'm the reason you're famous old man. If anything, your mooching off me and Ran._

Shinichi got dressed quickly, putting on his miniature blue suit and glasses. He ran excitedly down the stairs and into the living room. Ran was busy frying some eggs and bacon, while Kogoro did what Kogoro did best, drink and take up space.

Ran turned to Shinichi smiling with the trademark sparkle in her eyes. "Ohayo, Conan kun! Did you have sweet dreams?"

 _Maybe of y_ _ou._ Shinichi smiled, feeling a mixture of guilt and pride of the silent retort.

"Ohayo, Ran Nee-Chan! Were you the one who tucked me in?" Shinichi questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Of course, Conan Kun. You know you shouldn't read till you fall asleep. It's bad for you neck."

Shinichi blushed, rubbing the back of his neck, closing his eyes in embarrassment. The truth was, most of the books given out to his class were dull, uninspired or stupid. And since Shinichi had to keep up the mask of a normal seven year old boy, he didn't really have any chances to keep his brain from turning to mush.

So, he had walked down to the library, and begged the librarian to let him borrow a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, plus a copy of No Longer Human. The librarian was aghast when she heard the last one and had tried to refuse, saying that it wasn't appropriate for someone his age. But Shinichi had long since mastered the art of the "puppy dog eyes" and managed to weaken her resolve.

"Hey why didn't you tuck _me_ in?" Kogoro whined.

 _Because you're a grown man_. Ran was less cruel but more to the point. "You were up all night trying to win Yoko tickets. Our phone bill is going to be enormous!"

Kogoro flinched and quickly shut his mouth. "Jeez…" Conan couldn't make out the rest of his mumbling.

"Alright! Breakfast is done!"

Shinichi and Kogoro excitedly raced to make their plates. Ran was a great cook, and Shinichi was starving.

Kogoro immediately pushed Conan out of the way, a gargantuan immature grin on his face.

"Breakfast!" Kogoro roared.

"Hey! Not fair!" Shinichi couldn't even reach the counter, having to get on his tip toes and wave his hands up in the air comically in a vain attempt to reach it.

As Kogoro filled his plate, Ran immediately chopped his neck, catching his falling plate with his other hand.

"Hey! Don't rush you two!"

Shinichi and Kogoro both jerked back in fear. Ran may have been a nurturing caregiver to both "Conan" and her father, but they both knew about Ran's fury too well to continue. It kept them both from killing each other and was probably one of the few things they had in common.

"I'm sorry Nee-Chan." Shinichi apologized, part out of guilt and part out of using the puppy eye trick he used on the librarian.

Ran's features softened. "It's okay Conan-Kun. Here." Ran gave him Kogoro's plate.

"Thanks Nee-Chan!" Conan walked smiled and walked to the table, only to have Kogoro noogie him while Ran was cleaning up.

"That was revenge for earlier!"

Conan sighed. _Great. Today is starting off spectacular._

 **8:10**

"Nee-Chan you didn't have to…" Conan blushed as Ran handed him his bento box.

"No, Conan-Kun! It's my pleasure _." You deserve it after all._ They both walked outside the agency with Sonoko waiting in front and with the Detective boys slowly walking to meet Conan.

Conan ran off, his face beat red and a smile on his face.

Ran wished she had that level of excitement, not knowing that sometimes she did match it blow for blow. "Have fun at school, Conan-Kun!" Ran waved him off.

Sonoko chuckled. "When are you going to make _Shinichi's_ lunch?"

Ran blushed. "Sonoko! How many times do I have to have to tell you not to do that!"

"Okay. If you don't like Shinichi, I know a couple guys who have a crush on-"

Ran waved her hands and blushed even harder. "No-no-no thanks, I'm good!"

Sonoko laughed even harder. "Yeah, you'd probably scare them away." Sonoko made a chop in the air, receiving a sigh from Ran in response. Thankfully Sonoko stopped teasing her, for at least a moment as they walked to school.

"So how come you packed the brat's lunch? Didn't you tell he likes to pretend to be an adult all the time?"

"You're just like dad Sonoko. You really shouldn't underestimate him. I caught him reading a Osamu Dazai book yesterday."

Sonoko was less than impressed. "Like he can read Kanji. He was probably using it to hide his gum and boogers."

Ran sighed. Conan did like to act more like a grown up then a kid. It sometimes worried her, because he often got himself in trouble…

Then again, it was probably something that was unique to Conan. He was surprisingly mature and independent for his age, often cleaning up after himself, cooking his own meals, even helping with Dad's cases. _Distant or not, he really is related to Shinichi._

But he was still a child. He needed to be protected at all costs. Good thing the elementary school was so close to the high school. Ran couldn't imagine her dad, getting out to help him. They fought like Cats and Dogs.

Sonoko interrupted her friends recollecting. "Ran, look!"

Ran turned to face where Sonoko was pointing. In the park was a huge mass of young women, getting autographs from a plain looking man with long black silky hair surrounded by bodyguards.

"Who's he?"

Sonoko looked astounded that Ran didn't have inkling of whoever that man was supposed to be. "That's Daisuke Ito! He's the handsomest bachelor in all of Japan! How do you _not_ know him, his father's the governor of Tokyo!"

Ran sighed a bit bemused at her friend's obsession with every "pretty" boy she saw. She really wished she had just one crush, like her and Shin-

Suddenly someone bumped into her. Ran turned around to apologize but froze.

Standing behind her was a man in a grey oddly patterned trenchcoat, his face heavily bandaged, and wearing a wooden kasa. Ran reflexively went into a stance, but all he did was briefly stop and tip his circular aviators at the girls before walking off.

"Jeez, what's that freaks deal?"

Ran didn't reply yet. _He's walking towards dad's office._ She had a bad feeling about him. Ran went to follow but Sonoko grabbed her by the hand.

"C'mon, Ran! I want to meet my new boyfriend!" She looked quite confident in her wooing abilities. Then again, she always looked confident

"Sonoko…" Ran was dragged off by her to stand at the wait at the back of the line. It seemed to stretch on for miles, all the way from the center of the park to the end of the street. Ran sighed and went along with her friend. She seemed really excited and Ran didn't really want to ruin it for her. Surely the line couldn't take that long.

 **15 minutes later…**

Ran checked her phone, and gasped.

"We're going to be late!" Ran grabbed Sonoko by the collar and dragged her kicking and screaming towards the school, apologizing for pushing away the rancorous mob of young women the whole time.

She was unaware that someone was watching them.

 **9** **:20**

As his ever so punctual daughter practically carried her ever so perpetually lovelorn friend to school, Kogoro was busy enjoying his alone time.

His desk was covered in empty beer bottles, crumpled newspapers, unread fan letters, discarded candy wrappers and other junk that Ran would certainly make him clean up once she got home. His cheap microwaved Miso soup was stained all over his cheap blue suit and nicely trimmed mustache, giving him the look of a little kid eating sloppily.

Kogoro laughed to himself. Here he was finally away from Ran and the snot nosed brat and able to do anything he wanted. He had cancelled all his appointments, and put out a sign on the door saying that the agency was closed. He decided to open the drawer and put in his favorite CD, just to make everything perfect.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Huh?" Kogoro groaned. Either Ran or god forbid Conan had returned or someone was stupid enough not to read the sign. _Maybe if I ignore it they'll go away…_

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Hey, can't you read the sign, we're closed!"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Hey cut it out! Didn't you hear me, I said we're closed! If you don't go away I'll call the cops!" There was ten seconds of silence and Kogoro thought he had got the message.

KNOCK KNOCK RING KNOCK KNOCK RING

Kogoro growled, his face twisted in fury. He picked up his pants and put them on, his pace quickening with every knock and ring of the doorbell. It seemed to get faster and faster, pissing Kogoro off more and more.

"Damnit, it better not be you Conan!" He walked to the door, opened it and froze.

Standing slightly left of the doorway was a monster. He was dressed in a grey trench coat that covered his entire body. But that wasn't what freaked Kogoro out.

His face from the nose down was covered in gauze, giving him the look of some kind of villain. Kogoro screamed and tried to slam the door shut, but the monster grabbed the edge before it completely closed, his gloved hand being inches away from being crushed.

The man sighed. I get trying to slam the door but why did you scream? What're you a little girl?

Kogoro was too afraid to retort. But the man laughed and got to the point. "Relax old man! I'm just here to talk about a matter of business."

He made it sound like it was no more important than discussing the weather. Kogoro frowned and scrunched his eyebrows, suspious of the man's calm mood. "What do you mean?"

"May I come in? People may think I'm robbing you. Or sneaking in to have a affair."

Kogoro finally admitted the man in. Rude or not, he didn't want anyone taking pictures and making up rumors about him.

The man walked around the house for a bit. He seemed to be restless, pacing back and forth from the living room, to the kitchen, to Kogoro's office.

Kogoro was getting impatient. How long was he going to drag this out? His attention kept being dirverted out of boredom. He was about to say something until the man sighed again and pressed his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "The police won't believe me. I guess if you're not a teenage savant or in your case some sort of drunken savant, they don't care what a Private Eye discovers out of curiosity."

Kogoro gave a skeptical look. "If the police don't believe you what makes you think, I'll believe you?"

"Because your famous. Maybe not for long but people somehow seem to respect you. If you make a fuss-"

"HEY! I'm getting sick and tired of the jabs! I'm famous because I'm a great detective, not because I'm some sort of shyster!"

"Oh, really? Well, let's put that to the test. What do ya notice about me in forty seconds or less?"

Kogoro was taken aback. "What?"

"Hmm, if you're not up to the task then I guess I'll call this my victory." He started to walk out but Kogoro grabbed his arm. The threat to his ego was clearly more dangerous to him than any gun or knife ever would.

"Okay buster you're on! Let's see… You obviously have some sort of injury to the lower half of your face judging by your bandages. You are a young man… Uh… You have horrible fashion sense?"

Kogoro drew a blank for the last seconds. The man chuckled.

"Well that's certainly more than I'd thought you'd get! Gotta give you credit there… Okay, my turn now. You're a drinker, a slob, a divorcee, a family man with two kids, one a young women another a little boy. You're cocky, lazy, arrogant, and a bit of a lecher."

The man smiled at the glassy look in Kogoro's eyes. "Did I miss anything?"

"How did you…" Kogoro snarled, a vein popping in his head. "How the hell did you know all that! That was just luck!"

The man tilted his head and rested it on his hand. "Really? So it's all true? Well I can tell you how I know that its all true. Let's start with the obvious ones."

"I can tell you're a divorcee due to the lack of pictures of your wife when your daughter is older and the tan line on your finger. Of course this could mean that your wife is dead but that would mean she died when your your daughter was young and then the line wouldn't be so faded, because you'd wear it all the time. You could've remarried or be in a relationship but..."

"I can tell you're a slob due to the state of your desk and clothes. However the rest of the house is clean meaning that someone else takes great care of it. Your a drinker due to the smell of cheap booze in your breath and the mountains of alcohol at your desk." The man inclined his brow. I can tell you're a lecher cause while I was glancing around your office you gazed at a woman who was bent over in the street. Plus the magazines hidden in the-"

"Okay! Enough I get it do you ever shut up?"

The man laughed even louder. "Relax, old man i'm just busting your balls! While you may have been a bit of a disappointment I sense a kindred spirit. After all anybody who could have a nice mustache deserves to be at least that much."

"I may come back later to ask your daughter some questions about that missing cutie Kudo but right now I have to move my stuff in at my apartment." He reached into his pocket and gave Kogoro his card. He saluted Kogoro and left.

 _What the hell just happened?_ Kogoro groaned. It sounded like he was moving in to Beika. He wasn't looking forward to seeing him again.

Wait.

He was stopped in his train of thought by something he said. It didn't sound right to him. Did he say Kudo was missing?

 **10:11**

On most day's the Tokyo Metropolitan Police was packed like a can of Sardines, filled with constant noise from the rushing patrolmen, emergency calls from people reporting a crime, the typing of reports on outdated machinery and ornery suspects arguing and fighting for their innocence or guilt. The only thing they share was how numerable they were. That was the rule of big cities, especially living inside one of the largest cities on earth.

Today was quiet. The few calls they had received that had been handled quickly and discreetly

Detective Megure never though he would wish that Kogoro was still on the force. He was great detective and he would always respect that about him. However his newly found brilliance in solving crimes that had them stumped, had made him famous and had gone to his head. Though he was happy to call Kogoro his friend he didn't like his arrogance or ego.

He would have preferred Shinichi Kudo even more but when he asked Kudo-san about his only child's whereabouts, he was told he had gone abroad to solve a case and it was really perplexing.

That's a new one, Kudo being unable to solve a case? The kid was smarter then they could ever be, a real up and comer. Though some detectives were understandably annoyed and thought of him as a callow upstart, he would have been proud to see him become a detective.

Though… He wondered if even Kudo could have solved these ones.

The start of it was the presses fault. The press is a police officer's greatest enemy, along with lawyers and bureaucracy. A grieving mother had reported that her daughter had gone missing and when they couldn't find any leads she reported it to the newspapers.

The Vultures started digging and found something juicy for the tabloids and infuriating for the police.

Over forty female Korean migrants had disappeared in Tokyo over the last five years, all of them between twelve and twenty seven. Of course the cops looked for the kids but he and they were certain that the teenagers and adults had either moved or ran away. There was nothing that could be done if people didn't want to be found.

But that didn't stop the press from making it into a fiasco. They started printing tales about sex rings, that the Yakuza had kidnapped them, that native Japanese were next. They started connected other missing girls to their fictional problem and Megure could imagine how well business was going. While thankfully it didn't get as bad as It could have, the fallout was quite high. Uyoku Dantai and immigrants had clashed while protesting. It took fifty cops to drag them away from each other.

But that was just small potatoes, a waste of time and police resources. They had more pressing issues to deal with. For starters there was the "Suicide Club."

It was nickname for a group of ninety nine people who had committed suicide in the past six month's. They had no shared history, no shared gender, no shared age, nothing. The ways they had committed suicide varied as well. If they didn't share one thing it wouldn't have been even noticed.

All had an eye crossed out with an X drawn, painted, sometimes even carved near or on the victim. They had missed it at first, thinking it was just graffiti until they had started seeing later cases.

They had no clue what was going on. It wasn't for Kogoro connecting the cases to each other (how that man could solve any case sitting down and with his eyes clothes was mystery) they would know nothing. They still knew nothing. They had tons of theories but for naught.

"Inspector! Inspector!"

Takagi came rushing into his office, before tripping and busting his nose on his desk. "Are you alright!?"

He groaned and answered the worried detective, giving him a dopey grin.

"We have a tip on a Yakuza gun trafficking nest. T-t-their requesting all available men. Ow..."

Megure beamed and laughed heartilly. Finally something that didn't require a supercomputer to solve! Just some good old fashioned police work.

"Get up Takagi! Your with Sato. Let's move!"

Takagi sprang up and rushed out the door with him.

 **11: 30**

They were all at lunch now. Ai too.

She wasn't convinced it was a threat.

That was for the best. He had told Haibara the jist of what he found but that's about it. He had said to wait until they were walking home to give the group the pretense of an invite so he and Shinichi could talk about it privately.. Though it was a distinct probability that either Ai would tell him anyway or he'd figure out something was wrong.

He had woke up early. The only reason he had done was because he was working on a invention that had taken days of his time and Ai insisted that he get some sleep. When he glanced out the window, he noticed that Shinichi's door was open.

Shinichi didn't tell him about any visits and even then it was never this late. Someone had clearly broken into Shinichi's house. Agasa put on his underwear, and kimono, grabbed a flashlight and ran out the house screaming, somehow not waking up Ai.

For an adult she sure slept like a baby.

Even with the flashlight, Agasa kept tripping and making a lot of noise. That would've have been enough to scare any burglers but he was still cautious. He made into his friend's house more silently then before, his heart being swallowed inside his chest.

What he saw inside the house worried and confused his elderly brain as he tried to make sense of it all.

The Eye Graffiti…

The dead Cat…

The stolen photo's.

And what worried him worst of all.

A letter he had found, challenging Shinichi to stop him from killing.

.

.

.

 **FINALLY! DAMNNNN this took forever! This was an editing nightmare, so much shit to put in, so much shit to remove, getting the character's right, procrastinating, having a short mental breakdown, everything that could go wrong, DID go wrong.**

 **Anyway, so this is DC fic but with a few twists…**

 **First i'm combining genres. Some Noir, Some classic Detective ingredients, some J Horror and other genres I don't have time to mention.**

 **Don't worry next update will be one of my ongoing stories yoy can count on it! Can't wait for TPOLM can you?**

 **Me either.**

 **(;**

i


	2. First Moves

" _For someone like myself in whom the inability to trust others is so cracked and broken, that I am wretchedly timid and forever trying to leave the expression on people's faces."_

 _\- No Longer Human._

 **Shinjuku**

How's the Okonomiyaki?" The gangster asked the vendor, the long line waiting anxiously for his reaction.

"Greasy as always." The old Vendor stood his ground fearlessly, a knowing smile on his face.

The gangster chuckled and patted his belly. "Then I'm going to have to pass. If I get any bigger, people will mistake me for Gojira! Besides Maiko will beat me if I get stains on my suit again."

"You sure?"

The Gangster let the smells of the street food waft in his nostrils, his large mouth watering hungrily.

"Well… Maybe some Squid. And some beer."

"It's the morning, why would you-"

He tipped him a ten thousand yen note and that shut him up. The look of shock and awe on the poor man's face was worth that much at least.

"Tell the people behind me, I payed for their food, so they don't have to fear me staying." He grinned widely and was about to leave till the man whistled to get his attention.

"Sir I don't feel right not giving you anything for your generosity." And the man pulled out a notepad and started writing hiragana on it. "Here. My sister runs a real restaurant. Tell her I sent you and you'll get a deal!" He quickly handed him the paper and bowed.

The gangster bowed back, crumpled the paper and put it in his pocket. He scarfed down the squid in a couple large bites but put the beer in his jacket pocket. He continued walking down the streets, looking into shops while people either greeted him or stepped out the way in fear. People either loved or hated him there was no middle ground.

He had revived this place and many others, investing in urban renewal and building restoration. After that he bought the buildings and just waited for the profits and the shielding to kick in. There was no better way to honor his brother but finishing the work he started.

The gangster's once bubbly face, turned into meloncony as he silently prayed that his friend had finally obtained the peace he couldn't receive in this life.'

"Hey brats! Get back here!" The shout interrupted his rare bout of attentive introspection.

An old woman with a bun was chasing after two boys and one girl. The Yakuza stepped in front of them and they crashed into him.

"Hey what the hell old man!" The women was catching up, her enraged look turning into a grin of demonic glee.

"Oh shit!" The boys tried to run but the gangster grabbed them by their collars and put them both in a one armed headlock.

"You both should respect your elders!"

"Shut it fatso!"

"Kiss my ass!"

"Leave Kazuma-kun and Ichi-kun alone you bit meanie!" The girl hopped around, crying. The boys turned their heads glaring at the gangster, a look as threatening as any twelve year old could muster. It also reminded him of the look you get when you're constipated.

The old woman meanwhile had caught up, wheezing and only stopping when she dropped her cigarette.

"Thank you! My legs aren't what they used to be." She happily inhaled her cigarette and glowered at the now standing children. She pulled up her sleeves as a maniacal grin appeared on their face.

"Actually I would like to pay for what the children stole."

The old woman looked flabbergasted and disappointed. "What? How do you even know they stole anything!"

"A man's intuition." He pulled out a thousand yen note, and watched as the woman's eyes went as wide as saucers. "I'm sure this will pay for it."

The women bowed and ran off. The kids looked excited for their luck but they stopped when the businessman opened his mouth.

"Alright, what did you guys steal? A candy bar?"

The boys pulled out a couple magazines hidden under their shirts.

"WHAAAAAAA?"

The kids jumped back at his confused, exaggerated anger.

"You two are too young for these type of magazines! And you on the left, you have shit taste!" He grabbed the magazines and hid them in his jacket.

"What're ya gonna do about them?" The other boy said, or was it the one of the right? Both of them looked like twins to him.

The man puffed off and smiled. "I'm gonna return the magazines to their rightful owner!" He hid a lewd blush under his hammy good citizen routine. _I'm gonna save these for later… Hope Maiko doesn't find them..._

The boys saw through it completely. "Perverted old man..."

The girl came guiltily came forward. "Uhhh… Mr…"

"Mishima-san" The yakuza helpfully answered.

"I… I stole a magazine too."

Mishima konked the boys on the head. "The hell kind of men are you, letting an innocent girl do your dirty work!"

The girl nodded no. "Actually I.. Wanted one for myself." The poor girl pulled out the magazine.

"UWAAAAAA!" To his shock the girl pulled out a gay magazine, reminding him again of his brother.

"Can you return it too?"

Mishima was too polite to decline, hoping that he would have time to scrape the memory of this bizarre altercation with enough sake to kill a small elephant. And so he quickly walked away.

Heh, might as well get some food. He pulled out and stopped in his tracks.

 **A** **n** **c** **op is following you.**

 **He walks a fifty feet behind you at all times.**

 **He's wearing plainclothes.**

 **He has weird bangs.**

 **-Makoto**

Shit, the weasels are at again? This was getting sad now. They were so incompetent, that they had allowed any sicko to peddle drugs and guns to any yahoo without regulation. He was starting to run out of ways to mess with them.

BEEP BEEP!

"Hey asshole, what are you doing in the middle of the- Oh."

Mishima unbuttoned his suit to show off his tattoo's. After that the man in the car suddenly realized his obligations and drove around him. _Thank good that worked. I don't really have any time to greet anybody._ He had to lose the cop quickly, while he had no doubt Maiko could get him out of it but he respected her too much to waste her time on his incompetence.

It didn't take long for him to find the Itachi. After being greeted by kids practicing in a martial arts Academy he found, he went to a nearby department store where the glass display was reflective enough to see the background. Over the Haori's, Kimono's, Western Clothes, and his own boney face, he saw the Itachi with his own eyes.

After that he was cake, and low and behold there was a payphone.

Well..

He had just one idea…

.

.

.

 **12:00 AM Tokyo**

The raid's target was a modernist building built after the war, a tan rectangular monolith wrought into a bracket shape.

Megure gave the signal. He and Takagi led one team through the front while Sato led a team through the back.

"Okay, three, two, one, GO!"

As they busted open the doors, a scream was heard.

From the cops.

It appeared that the building was actually a bath house. This was an unexpected and most unpleasant turn of events for the men who considered themselves honorable. The reddening women stood frozen like flies in mollasses, while the men dropped their guns and cover their eyes in a truly stunning display of professionalism.

Not all of them covered their eyes. Some of them spurted blood through their noses and fell unconscious. The shock in the girls eyes turned into flaming fury as they proceeded to throw their shoes at the retreating men as they tripped and crashed over each other in an attempt to save face.

Ten minutes later, Officer Sato came through the front door, her face also blushing. When asked why, she said it was actually a segregated bath and Megure left it at that.

 _I hate those guys…_

.

.

.

 **3:00 AM Agasa Residence**

The end of a beautiful day was here. School was finally out both Ran and Shinichi had enjoyed spectacular days (Only spectacular for Shinichi's standards).

Ran's day was normal enough. She had learned that the old science teacher was retiring, and been replaced with a new teacher. This made kinda sad but other then that her day was spectacular as always.

Shinichi's meanwhile… Got interesting both in an odd and bad way.

It was all at the end though, because the day had started out quite spectacular. The Detective Boys were less annoying today, being focused on the trying to one up each other in courting Ayumi and discussing what they were going to do in the beginning of the marathon of spring festivals. Of course they still talked to him but for once their stupidity had seemed to wane.

Not that he didn't enjoy their company or anything, he actually considered them true friends no matter how irritated there antics got. But sometimes being with someone who wasn't his true age got tiring, especially when you had to constantly protect them from themselves.

And murderers.

And thieves.

And from getting stuck in odd places.

Was he really like this as a kid? Shinichi was ashamed.

After eating his lunch, Shinichi thought his day could not possibly go bad. It would probably be more statistical likely for a meteor to destroy Beika then for anything to go wrong.

But Ai came along. She had a knack for that unfortunately and told him that Agasa wanted to see him. So Shinichi walked home with her and enjoyed the familiar sights and sounds of Beika. He tried chatting her up but she stayed as stoic as ever until finally she hit him with a bombshell.

"Someone broke into your house last night."

Despite there being no water or drink in his mouth, Shinichi somehow managed to do a spit take.

"What! Why didn't you tell me immediately!" Shinichi freaked out, panicked that the Black Organization had finally found him.

"It wasn't them."

"Are y-"

"Trust me it wasn't them!" Shinichi didn't have time to bask in the relief of not being being killed another day. Haibara's reaction showed that something wasn't right here. Who could have made her freak out like this?

Despite Shinichi's childlike knowledge of how women worked he knew enough not to press the issue further. Finally, he made it to Agasa's igloo shaped domicile. Agasa was there on the porch, waving with a faint smile on his face.

The fact it _was_ faint, worried Shinichi even more.

"Where's the rest of your friends?"

"I told them Shinichi was busy and I was walking him home."

 _Don't make me forget it_. Genta, and Mitsuhiko had laughed at him for having a girl walk him home, even Ayumi tried and failed to hide a grin. He wasn't going to here the end of that one for a while.

They came in, took off their coats and Agasa had Shinichi follow him to his room. Ai went way somewhere, her quiet little shadow disappearing from view.

Agasa sat him down, and hesistantly spoke.

"Shinichi… There's no easy way to say this but I think you're in danger."

"How?" The tension in the room couldn't get any higher.

Agasa sighed. "How much did Ai tell you?"

"Just that my house was broken in? What did he steal?" Shinichi asked.

He stole some photos."

"Just some pictures?" Shinichi was annoyed greatly annoyed. While he had enjoyed he was very proud of his fan base, there were a few instances, they creeped him out. But Agasa wasn't done.

"No, my boy, not just that… The man who broke in left a Tortoiseshell Cat's head on your bed.

Shinichi winced. "A Cat's head? What kind of sicko would do that?"

Not just that… You remember the suicide case you connected to all the others? Well carved into the wall was that symbol used in all the cases. And this."

The doctor handed him a piece of paper. It took less then half a second for Shinichi to read it.

 _Dear Mista Detective_

 _I hav been a follower of ya work for quite a wile now. I sincerely hope we can have great fun together._

 _I feel like ya can be a great release for my boredom. So, I'll give ad vance warning. In nineteen days I shall reveal myself to the world but only you will know. How long you decide to stretch your brain to figure out my crimes is up to you._

 _Please don't disappoint. And try to give it your all. There are numerous test subjects after all._

 _Heisei Moriarty_

It was badly written, and Shinichi knew for what is it really was in half a second.

"It's fake."

Agasa, blinked surprised at this development. "Shinichi…"

"I can prove it if you go in my cabinets. I have hundreds of fan mail, but also just as many hate and prank mail. A few of my fans are crazy. Shinichi himself winced at the memories of the crap they'd sent him, which upon getting he burned or buried immediately.

He never revealed any of this to Ran because she either be worried or jealous. He was sent thank you doujinshi, hand made sweets, knitted sweaters with Sherlock Holmes style monograms.

And then there was the nasty stuff. Panties and hair was sent by his both female and male fans alike while literal crap, threats, animal parts, even a letter written in blood was sent to him. Thankfully, he got more letters of gratitude and...

Well, lets just say that some of the items and letters the girls sent him gave him a sense of childish glee he wouldn't be telling Ran anytime soon

Shinichi's forehead was burning so he continued onwards. "And the letter itself appears to be written by someone who's barely above a kindergarten reading level. Shinichi laughed, trying to mask his disgust that someone was so obsessed about him, that they would behead a cat. "Besides, who would call themselves "Heisei Moriarty?"

"This coming from someone called Heisei Holmes?" Agasa joked but his face was serious. After overcoming morning jitters, he had come to the exact same conclusion as his friend. In truth, Agasa didn't believe that there was really an evil mastermind. Just some crazy fan obsessed with him.

But that was exactly what he was afraid of. Some psycho stalker going after him! He wasn't taking this seriously enough, there were basically no laws against it!

Shinichi sensed his panic easily. Don't worry Doc. It'll be fine just call the police, they'll be on it." Shinichi got up and ran out of the door.

"Where are you going?"

Shinichi smiled. "She's probably upset about the Cat. I can't leave her like that." He left.

.

.

.

 **Unknown time, Unknown place**

Idiot. He left the letter too early.

This meant not only that he now had a set timeframe but now all he could do at the moment was through some seeds in the air.

He would never had been this sloppy but his followers sadly were. They deviated from his instructions. Now Kudo will be on alert.

Oh well.

It's not a game if you couldn't lose or if the other side loses too easily.

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.

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 **Yeah I know not the best chapter but I haven't got as much a feel for the World of Detective Conan as I do for Bleach. Forgive me if** **it seems a bit stilted now I assure you i'll get better.**

 **Any questions, just email or leave a review. I don't want to leave many clues but lets just say I hope to make a equal to Monster in terms of thriller and amount of research. I wish I could do eveything else perfect though.**

 **Just remember with a keen eye for details only one truth prevails!**

… **Unless the details are wrong.**

 **REVISION (5/24/18)**


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